UPDATE 1/22/10: Dogster Cody's Mom sent us a link to a new article in her local Tenn. paper that reports investigators have found that this dognapping did not occur, but that the animals are, indeed, missing. The article states the shelter had been neglecting these dogs to the point of starvation. This is even more heinous, especially since so many of these dogs have terrible physical problems. I will post an article later today with all the information.

Dogsters, it's time to keep your eagle eyes peeled! At around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, two men allegedly broke into a Johnson City, Tenn., animal rescue and made off with 14 rescued dogs.

This was no small feat, and these are no small dogs. The bounty included 11 Dobermans , one black lab, and one shepherd mix. (A Miniature Pinscher is the only small dog in the lot.) One dog has only three legs, one is blind, and several have other serious health conditions, reports WCYB. There's a chance that some of the dogs escaped during the crime, and are not with the dognappers.

"Please be on the lookout," implores Brad Josselyn, who runs the shelter. "They are very friendly dogs."

An employee was stabbed (fairly superficially, thankfully) on her side during her attempts to stop the crime. The assailant escaped with the dogs in a white utility van with no back windows, according to TriCities.com.

Police are searching for the men. Shelter workers fear the dogs could be sold for research. Fortunately some of the dogs had already been microchipped.

In a note to Dogster today, shelter friend LaDonna Cable asked for us to tell people to even look for the dogs being sold at local flea markets.

The shelter is offering a "sizable reward" for information for the dogs' return, according to the WCYB report.

If you have any information, call: (423) 928-3647 or your local animal shelter.

This just in: More than a dozen dogs and cats were stolen over the weekend from a shelter in the adjacent state of Kentucky. Is there a relationship? Probably not, since the towns aren't close to each other. But shelters in those areas might want to tighten up on security, just in case.